Kai's Living Nightmare
by EternalFlame401
Summary: Kai leaves Hitsue City every couple of months to visit the town he moved away to. Each time, when he comes back, he returns with injuries. Miwa finds out about this. Will Miwa get to the bottom of this and help Kai or will Kai continue to suffer in silence? Rated to be safe. EDIT: Now with an epilogue!
1. Chapter 1

Hey there! I really should be writing something else but the idea was stuck in my head and basically begging to be written. I torture Kai too much, don't I? It's the slightest bit Miwa/Kai but there's no kissing or anything like that so it really isn't. Warnings will be written below.

Disclaimer: Don't own them, no matter how much I wish I did.

**Warnings: abuse and blood later on**

On with the story!

Read and Review!~

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Chapter 1

The sunlight streamed through Kai's bedroom window as he moved his arm up to cover his face. Grumbling, he dragged himself out of bed. After brushing his teeth, he changed into his school uniform and made himself a cup of coffee and popped some bread into his toaster. Putting on some shoes, he walked downstairs to his mailbox. He lived in an apartment, so it wasn't much of a walk. After collecting all of his mail, he made his way back upstairs. He unlocked his door and grabbed the toast from the toaster. He leafed through the letters, when one in particular caught his eye. It was from his uncle. Kai frowned. Was it that time of year again already? It seemed like it hadn't been very long since the last time. Kai sighed. There was no way around it, though. He couldn't disobey his uncle, no matter how much he hated him. Finishing off the last of his toast, Kai grabbed his school bag and the letter and locked the door. He would just have to tell the school about his absence and maybe ask Miwa to grab the notes for him.

* * *

Kai arrived at school earlier than usual. Opening the door to the office, he asked the secretary for a leave of absence form and began filling it out. Under "reason for absence", Kai paused. What was he supposed to say? After putting in some thought, he settled for "family matters" and handed it back to the secretary. He would start his leave next week and it would continue until the Tuesday after. Walking to class, he sat down at his seat and fell asleep.

Miwa walked into the classroom, grumbling to himself. His mom had tricked him into thinking that he was late and now here he was 30 minutes before school started. He doubted there was anyone here. He opened the door and was surprised to find Kai, fast asleep on his desk. Dropping off his own bag, he silently came up to Kai's side. He noticed the rhythmic rise and fall of Kai's chest and how Kai didn't have his trademark scowl on his face. It made the brunet look much happier, like when they were younger. Miwa softly stroked the slumbering boy's hair and stifled a laugh when Kai seemed to purr in content.

Suddenly, Miwa noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A white envelope was sticking out of Kai's school bag. Noiselessly pulling it out from the bag, Miwa inspected the letter. _Kai Ryo_, he read in his mind. Who was that? A relative of Kai's? Carefully pulling the letter out from the envelope, he was about to read it when he was stopped cold by a panicked looking Kai.

"You're awake," Miwa stated, too surprised to say anything else. Kai had a wild look in his eyes, like cornered prey and a death grip on his wrist. Kai took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He looked Miwa dead in the eyes with his infamous glare.

"Did you read any part of that letter?" he demanded, trying to keep a level tone.

Miwa was rooted in place. He had never seen Kai glare at him before. Not even when he got caught playing one of his pranks. The blond now knew why Morikawa and Izaki had initially been afraid of Kai. If the way he glared at them was anything like the glare Miwa was receiving now, he would have feared the teal eyed boy too. Carefully, he handed the letter back to Kai.

"I didn't read any of it. I only saw who sent it to you. That's it," he reassured. Kai let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Slowly, he released Miwa and apologised for startling him like that. Miwa managed a weak nod before settling himself a little further away from Kai. Innocently, he asked the brunet,

"What's in the letter?" He was surprised when he saw Kai visibly flinch and subtly slip the letter further into his bag. His ever present scowl seemed to deepen even further as he replied,

"Nothing special." Miwa frowned. He was about to inquire further when he was interrupted by Kai. "Could you get the materials for next week for me? I'm not going to be here." The blond sighed. There he went again, that best friend of his; leaving school for an extended period of time. Miwa sighed but gave Kai his word nonetheless. Kai thanked the blond and went back to sleep, only to have the bell ring a few minutes afterwards. People piled into their seats and Kai was left groaning about lost sleep. Miwa laughed and took his seat in front of Kai. And thus, the school day started.

* * *

"Man I'm beat!" Miwa exclaimed as he stretched his arms above his head. He watched as Kai silently ignored him and continued on his way to Card Capital, cheerily catching up to him and walking beside him. He heard Kai grunt a bit but continued walking together nonetheless. The automatic doors opened and they were greeted by Misaki. Kai, as always, stayed silent while Miwa grinned and returned the welcoming. The rest of the day was spent cardfighting.

Finally, after Kai's last cardfight, the two Hitsue students started their walk back home. Miwa glanced at Kai. He didn't want to push it, but he knew that there was something wrong. Kai's playing was unusually forced today. He still kicked everyone's butts, but there was something off about him. What was wrong? Miwa voiced his thoughts and, for the second time that day, saw Kai flinch. His gray eyes narrowed. There was most definitely something Kai wasn't telling him. The brunet waved it off again as nothing which only concerned the blond further. _Why won't you let me in, Kai?_

Sighing, Miwa reluctantly parted ways with Kai, seeing as how his house was to the left and Kai's apartment was to the right. Exchanging goodbyes, the two friends continued on their way to their respective homes.

* * *

Kai closed the door behind him quietly. He had been too careless, bringing the letter with him to school like that. But he couldn't just leave it at home. What if the school asked for proof? Or, even worse, what if, somehow, the letter got into someone else's hands while he was at school, like it had today? Thankfully, Kai had woken up due to the sound of rustling paper and had stopped Miwa before he had gone any further. Slipping off his shoes, Kai packed a couple of changes of clothes, his toothbrush and his notebook into a duffel bag. He would leave for his uncle's town early in the morning tomorrow; there would be no time for forgetting things. Taking off his school blazer and tie, he wrapped an apron around his torso and started making his dinner.

After washing the dishes, Kai changed into his nightwear. He wanted to get some sleep tonight; it would be hard for him to get any in the next week. Turning off his side table lamp, the brunet fell asleep.

* * *

The annoying ringing of an alarm clock shook Kai out of his blissful state of slumber. Groaning, he reached over and turned it off. He started the morning off the same way he had the day before: brushing his teeth, changing his clothes and putting bread into his toaster. After he finished his toast, Kai grabbed his duffel bag and locked the door. He would miss the comfort of his own home for the next week. He walked quickly to the train station and bought a ticket for the next train going to his uncle's hometown.

Kai gulped. He was standing in front of his uncle's house. He didn't want to go in; he never did. But he didn't have much of a choice when a shadow loomed over him.

"Hello, Toshiki," was the last thing he remembered before entering his own personal hell.

* * *

How was it? Not too bad I hope. All my stories are unbeta'd so if there are any mistakes please let me know!


	2. Chapter 2

Hi again! I already finished writing this XD so I might as well upload the whole thing right?

Disclaimer: Don't own CFV or any of the characters except for Kai Ryo

**Warnings: abuse and blood mention later**

Read and review!

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Chapter 2

Miwa was worried. It had been a week since he had last seen Kai. Even though he knew that Kai wasn't going to be in town, he couldn't help his concern, especially with how the brunet was acting before he left. Nevertheless, he still managed to write some decent notes in class for Kai to copy when he came back. It was the last period of the day. His mind was somewhere else when a harsh slam on the chalkboard caught his attention.

"Make sure you're here on Monday," the teacher said. "You will be having an in-class assignment that will be due at the end of the period. It is worth 5% of your final mark. You will not be able to retake this assignment so you had better make sure you show up on Monday." The entire class muttered in disapproval but they all understood just how important this assignment was. Miwa made a mental note to tell Kai about it later. The bell rang and the blond proceeded to pick up his belongings and rush out of the school and make his way to Card Capital. He spent the rest of the day there and was about to start his fifth match when his phone rang. Puzzled, he checked the caller ID. He was pleasantly surprised to find that it was Kai. He signalled to his opponent that he had to take the call and picked up.

"Hello?" he asked. There was an awkward pause on the other end and Miwa was about to ask again when he heard a faint,

"Miwa?" The blond didn't like the sound of that. Kai sounded weak and in pain. Kai _never_ sounded like that. His concerns growing, Miwa asked the brunet about his reason for calling when Kai interrupted him. "Do you have last week's material?" he asked. Miwa sighed.

"Yeah, I've got it. I'll come over now." He was about the grab his bag and head over when Kai's panicked voice made him stop.

"No, it's ok. Just scan them or send pictures. Really, don't come, Miwa," Kai's voice all but begged. Miwa raised an eyebrow. That wasn't like Kai either. Nonetheless, he complied. After sending Kai all the pictures, he got a text from the brunet thanking him. Miwa responded back that it was no problem, and resumed his fight.

* * *

Kai sighed. Somehow, he was able to keep Miwa from going to his house. He rolled up his sleeves. Bruises littered his arms, dark and angry. Kai scowled and proceeded to grab some ointment from his medicine cabinet. He hissed when the cold lotion came into contact with his wounds but grit his teeth and bore it. He was already happy to be back home and not still in the hellhole he called his uncle's house. Jumping with a start, he realised his phone was buzzing. Finishing off with his lotion, he picked up his phone. It was a text from Miwa telling him about an important assignment on Monday that he apparently "absolutely couldn't miss". Kai sighed and shifted against the wall and subsequently winced as he brushed one of the bruises on his back. Today was Sunday; he doubted he would heal in time. In fact, this was the exact reason why his leave wasn't scheduled to end until the day after. But he wasn't willing to lose 5% of his mark either. He sighed. What was the worst that could happen if he went back?

The brunet found himself regretting his decision as he sat down in his seat for the last period of the day. His entire body was aching; he knew this was a bad idea. Miwa sat down in the seat next to him and grinned. Kai said nothing to the blond. The teacher walked in and began to explain the assignment. Thankfully, it wasn't anything too difficult; it was just an essay. Kai already knew a lot about the topic they were given and was finished with time to spare. He used the extra time to get some more sleep since he hadn't really gotten much in the past week. The bell snapped him out of his rest and he looked up dazedly to see Miwa smiling at him again. Kai grumbled but grabbed his school bag and started walking with Miwa.

"You did pretty well, didn't you, Kai?" Miwa asked his friend. He had seen how quickly the brunet had finished off that essay. It was as if he hadn't missed an entire week of school before writing. Kai simply grunted in response and mumbled something about how the topic was an easy one. Miwa laughed as the two started down the stairs. They had almost reached the bottom when they heard a frantic voice yell,

"Out of the way!" Another student rushed up the stairs with one more student at his heels. Miwa moved to the side, barely missing the two. Kai wasn't as lucky. He had moved to the side as well, but not fast enough. His shoulder was hit by the two boys and he lost his balance and fell down the rest of the steps, harshly landing on his back and banging his arm with a loud bang. Thankfully, there weren't a lot of steps left so Kai's injuries couldn't have been too bad. Or at least that's what Miwa thought.

* * *

Kai was lying on the ground, gritting his teeth in pain and clutching his upper arm. Miwa, albeit shocked, immediately ran to his best friend's side.

"Kai! Are you ok? Say something!" he panicked. The stairwell was empty now so Miwa didn't have any problems with how loud he was being. Kai took deep breaths and looked at Miwa. His eyes were glazed over with pain. He knew he shouldn't have come to school when he wasn't fully healed! The brunet could do nothing to stop the blond as he was propped up against the wall. He was too busy trying not to scream to notice Miwa rolling up his sleeves to take a look at the injury. When he finally realised what his best friend was doing, it was already too late to stop him from seeing.

Miwa gasped when he finished rolling up Kai's sleeve. It wasn't just the spot that Kai was clutching; his entire arm was covered in dark bruises. What could have made them? Miwa wasn't sure he wanted to know but one thing he _did_ know was that his bad feeling had been right. Miwa gently tugged at the hand Kai was using to cover up his bicep, silently pleading him to let go and let Miwa see the full extent of the damage. Kai sucked in a breath and slowly let go, allowing his arm to fall limply to his side. Miwa continued rolling up the brunet's sleeve, only to grimace at the sight he was met with.

The spot that Kai had been shielding wasn't bruised any worse than the rest of his arm, which was better than nothing, but the sheer size of the bruise was what worried the blond. It was about the size of Miwa's fist and it definitely looked old which meant that Kai had been injured for a while and no one had noticed. Miwa frowned. Why hadn't he said something? Miwa finally let his hands fall to his sides and sat in front of his best friend. The two sat in silence, both not making eye contact with the other. After a few more tension filled minutes, Miwa finally spoke.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me that you were in pain?" the blond demanded, anguish in his tone. He watched as his friend looked away guiltily and rolled his sleeve back down, ashamed to be caught like this.

"It doesn't have anything to do with you," the injured boy responded. Miwa felt his anger rise. Carefully, he helped Kai stand and led him down the remaining stairs. Kai was about to leave for Card Capital when he felt a tug on his wrist pulling him in another direction.

"Miwa!" he exclaimed, his tone laced with surprise. The blond said nothing in return and continued to drag the brunet away from his destination. Kai grumbled but let himself be dragged away from an afternoon of cardfighting. He couldn't move around too much anyway, seeing as how the slightest movement could hurt him even more what with Miwa's iron grip on his wrist. The brunet was about to inquire about their destination when he recognised the path the two of them were taking. It was the way back to his house. He was about the protest when Miwa shot him a look that made him close his mouth. Oh how he regretted having previously invited the blond over to his house now.

* * *

Miwa grabbed the spare key under Kai's mat and entered the apartment. Kai made a mental note to change the location of his spare key. Miwa pointed to a spot in front of his bed.

"Sit," he ordered simply. Kai silently obeyed the command, knowing that crossing Miwa when he was like this was not something he wanted to do. He watched as Miwa briskly walked into his bathroom and rummaged through his medicine cabinet. He returned moments later with the ointment Kai had used yesterday as well as some bandages. He looked down at the brunet expectantly, as if Kai knew what he wanted. When the teal eyed boy gave him a look of confusion, the blond simply said,

"Strip." Kai's jaw dropped. Normally he was more composed than that but Miwa's sudden demand was so outrageous that he couldn't hide his astonishment. A dark red blush spread across his cheeks. Crossing his arms over his chest and scooting further from the blond, he couldn't manage anything other than a dumbfounded,

"What?" Miwa's expression didn't budge an inch as he repeated his command. This time, he explained why.

"I'm going treat your bruises. Now hurry up and take your shirt off." Kai's blush didn't fade and he stubbornly shook his head. Miwa placed the supplies on Kai's bed and sat down next to Kai and sighed. The obstinate brunet looked over to his upset friend and apologised in his mind. He couldn't let Miwa help him. His uncle would get to the blond and that was something Kai never wanted to happen. He would protect Miwa until the end.

* * *

Miwa frowned. He wasn't going to get anywhere like this. He looked the injured boy in the eye, silently pleading him to let the blond help him. Kai's teal eyes were vulnerable, more so than Miwa had ever seen. He saw the slightest bit of hesitance, showing him that his pleas with the brunet were indeed working; it just needed a bit more of a push. Miwa's hand found Kai's and gripped it gently.

"Please let me help you, Kai. You trust me, don't you?" The brunet stayed silent for a long time and it made Miwa wonder if Kai had indeed heard him. Just when he was about to ask again, Kai's free hand inched towards his school blazer and started to shrug it off. Delighted that Kai was finally letting him help, Miwa let go of the brunet's hand and recovered the medical supplies he had left on Kai's bed. Once the brunet was shirtless, Miwa could see the full extent of what the previous week had done to Kai.

* * *

Cliff hangy? Sorry! Well the next part is coming up in a few minutes so don't worry! (Not going to lie, I laughed pretty hard when I wrote Miwa saying "Strip" to Kai)


	3. Chapter 3

Next chapter, coming right up!

Disclaimer: Same as always, don't own them.

**Warnings: abuse and blood mention later**

Read and Review!

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_Last time:_

_"__Please let me help you, Kai. You trust me, don't you?" The brunet stayed silent for a long time and it made Miwa wonder if Kai had indeed heard him. Just when he was about to ask again, Kai's free hand inched towards his school blazer and started to shrug it off. Delighted that Kai was finally letting him help, Miwa let go of the brunet's hand and recovered the medical supplies he had left on Kai's bed. Once the brunet was shirtless, Miwa could see the full extent of what the previous week had done to Kai._

* * *

Chapter 3

Fading bruises marred the boy's naturally pale skin. Open cuts littered his torso. There was also one particularly long gash across Kai's stomach area that made Miwa absolutely beside himself with anger. Who did this to his best friend? Miwa looked up from Kai's wounds to find the brunet looking away embarrassedly. There was no doubt in Miwa's mind that if he hadn't forced his way into Kai's apartment, Kai would have never breathed a word about his injuries and the blond would have never known. His ever-present cheerful smile was long gone and had been replaced with a grim frown as he started treating the wounds. Kai tensed upon initial contact with Miwa's hand but eventually started to relax and let the blond help him in his time of need.

"Why didn't you bandage your cuts?" Miwa asked.

"If you saw the bandages you would've suspected something," Kai mumbled in response. Miwa furrowed his brow.

"Of course I would have! And you shouldn't have hid it from me!" he exclaimed, hurt that his best friend didn't trust him. The secretive brunet flinched at the hurt laced in Miwa's tone and looked away sheepishly. He just couldn't tell Miwa.

* * *

Miwa finally finished bandaging Kai's torso and moved on to his arms. As he was wrapping his left arm, Miwa gently asked,

"Who did this to you?" He had been expecting Kai to ignore the question completely, so he was surprised when the brunet jumped with a start and began to deny that anyone had hurt him. The blond's anger grew. He had had enough.

"Don't give me that!" he screamed, effectively surprising the other. "Don't tell me someone didn't hurt you when they obviously did! Aren't we friends? Why won't you tell me?!" he demanded, on the brink of tears. He watched the other boy carefully as his mouth opened and closed, wanting to say something to answer the blond but finding nothing. Miwa scowled and continued to dress the wound. He moved on to Kai's other arm. When he was finished, he collected the supplies and made his way to the bathroom. He had only taken about five steps when he heard a quiet,

"Thank you, Miwa." The blond's grin finally returned as he proceeded into the bathroom. When the boy came out, he found his host leaning against his bed, fast asleep. Miwa chuckled and carefully lifted the brunet into his bed and pulling the covers over him. Miwa sent a quick text to his mom saying that he was staying over at Kai's house for the night before grabbing Kai's spare futon and letting his own gray eyes fall shut.

* * *

Miwa woke up the next morning to the smell of toast and fried eggs. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and sat up from his futon. He looked up to find Kai sitting at his table, calmly sipping his coffee. The brunet cast a brief glance in his direction before turning back to his coffee and saying good morning. The blond yawned and returned the greeting. He made his way into Kai's bathroom and found that the brunet had set out a toothbrush for him. Miwa called out his thanks and began to brush his teeth. When he was finished, he exited the bathroom only to find Kai staring silently at a letter in his hands. He was about to ask about it when he noticed that something wasn't right. Kai's hands were shaking and his eyes were wide. Just what was in that letter?

Kai couldn't believe it. His uncle wanted him to "visit" every three months now instead of four. This was insane! He could already barely manage three hell-like experiences each year and now he was supposed to handle four? He was snapped out of his daze when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Kai flinched violently and hugged the letter close to his chest, afraid that the person behind him had seen what was written. His panicked teal eyes were met with confused gray ones.

"Kai?" he asked gently, careful not to frighten the brunet any more than he already was. Kai took a deep breath and let the tension leave his body.

"It's nothing, Miwa. Sorry if I worried you," he said quickly. There was no way he could let Miwa see the letter. The cheerful blond was already suspicious and Kai couldn't risk him finding out. He wanted the blond's smile to stay on his face. He hated it when Miwa was unhappy. It didn't suit the younger. Said boy furrowed his brow and hugged the other, surprising him.

"Fine, Kai," he whispered, not wanting to make his friend any more on edge than he already was. "Just know that I'm here whenever you need me." Kai nodded stiffly, still too shocked from Miwa's warm embrace to do much else. When Miwa finally released him, Kai was still frozen stiff. Miwa laughed while Kai blushed dark red. The two began their breakfast, or rather Miwa began his breakfast since Kai only wanted coffee. Thanking the brunet for breakfast, the blond stood up and walked himself to the door.

"See you later, Kai," he said as he closed the door behind him. Kai made a small wave and turned back to his coffee. He sighed and began to write a letter back to his uncle signalling his acceptance.

* * *

Two months later, Kai was in Card Capital fighting against Aichi. The Link Joker incident had ended. Kai still felt guilty, but Aichi made him feel a little better. He wanted to make up for his mistake. It would be tough, but he definitely wanted to atone for his sin. As he rode his new Dragonic Overlord, his mind couldn't help but realise that date. It had been three months since the last time he had visited his uncle. Was the last letter just a hoax? While he was lost in his thoughts, he ended up misplaying and losing the fight. He frowned. That was not how he imagined losing a fight.

"That was a nice fight, Kai-kun," Aichi said as he cleaned up his cards. Kai nodded and congratulated the Miyaji captain on his win. The bluenet smiled and looked back down at his cards, a frown tugging at his lips. Kai noticed this and thought it strange.

"What's wrong, Aichi?" he asked. Aichi looked back up and met Kai's gaze.

"What's bothering you, Kai-kun?" he asked, concern lacing his tone. Kai took a step back. Was he really that obvious? "I can tell that you're distracted. Your playing was off and you made mistakes you normally wouldn't have. What's wrong?" Kai chewed his lip.

"Nothing is wrong, Aichi," he assured. The boy shot him a skeptical look and out of the corner of his eye, Kai noticed Miwa give him one as well. Nonetheless, the bluenet pursued the topic no further and left the shop. Kai gathered his cards and left as well, accompanied by Miwa. The blond tried to question his friend again about his mental health which the brunet adamantly insisted was fine. Miwa eventually gave up and bid Kai farewell, turning to walk home. Kai walked back to his apartment and picked up his mail on the way up. Sure enough, true to his fears, one of the letters in the pile was from his uncle. Reaching his apartment door, he opened it and went inside, opening his uncle's letter at the same time. It was the same as the first letter he had gotten, demanding his presence at the man's house. Kai frowned and leafed through the other letters. When he found nothing of importance, he sent a quick text to Miwa saying he was going to be away again and began to pack.

* * *

Kai walked up to the house he had been in front of just a few months ago. Oh how he dreaded the next week. He couldn't disobey though, no matter how much he longed to. Arriving at the front doorstep, he hesitantly rang the door bell. When no one answered, Kai hoped that he could get away for another few hours and enjoy himself before being subjected to hell on earth. His hopes were short lived as he heard footsteps from behind the door. It was opened to reveal Kai's uncle, dressed lazily and appearing not half awake. Kai cringed. The man smelled strongly of beer. Before the thought that this visit would be worse than the last could form in his mind, he was dragged into the house.

* * *

Not much to say about this one... Next one it coming up!


	4. Chapter 4

Not going to do a "last time" on this one because it starts off with Miwa and last time we ended of with Kai.

**Warnings: blood mention IN THIS CHAPTER and abuse mention**

Disclaimer: I don't own CFV

Read and Review!

* * *

Chapter 4

Miwa was watching a movie at home when the doorbell rang. He frowned. Who could it be at this hour? Not to mention the fact that it was raining. Setting his popcorn down on the table, he made his way towards the door. His parents were out of town on a business trip so he had the house to himself. The blond unlocked the door only to be frozen in shock at the sight in front of him.

His best friend was currently leaning against his door frame, his clothes in tatters and blood dripping from his arm. His normally clear face was covered in cuts and bruises, some of which looked like they were old. Each breath the brunet took looked like it pained him, which Miwa didn't think was very far from the truth.

"M-Miwa..." the brunet rasped. Miwa was still rooted to the ground. What had happened in the week that Kai was gone? He was brought back to earth when a word that he never would've expected Kai to say tumbled from his lips.

"Help."

* * *

Miwa was finally brought out of his shock as Kai tipped forward, unable to support himself any longer. Miwa immediately rushed forward to catch the older and pulled him inside while closing the door.

"Oh my god, Kai," he said as he laid the injured boy on his bed and rushed into his bathroom to grab his medical supplies. He heard Kai utter words of protest about how he was going to get Miwa's bed wet but Miwa would have none of it. He didn't care about that right now. The only thing that mattered was Kai getting treatment. He came back and found the brunet on the verge on unconsciousness. Miwa didn't know how severe Kai's injuries were but one thing he did know was that he did _not_ want him to go to sleep yet.

"Kai... Kai! You need to stay awake, ok? Can you do that for me?" he asked, panic very slowly creeping into his words. Kai mumbled some form of gibberish but opened one eye hazily nonetheless. Miwa sighed in relief.

"That's it Kai. Talk to me. Stay awake. Tell me what happened. I'm going to fix you up." Kai groaned and mumbled and Miwa strained his ears to understand what the boy was saying. What he _did_ catch angered him.

"Kai! How can you not tell me what happened?! You showed up on my doorstep hurt and bloody! Do you not trust me? What's stopping you?!" he demanded. His eyes welled with tears and he hurriedly rubbed them away. This was no time to cry. Kai needed help. He began to tug off what remained of Kai's shirt to begin treating his wounds.

Just when the shirt was almost off, Miwa heard Kai whisper,

"Because he'll hurt you too." That stopped Miwa in his tracks. Who was "he"? Was it someone they knew?

"Kai...?" he questioned. But the brunet had already said everything he intended to say. Instead, he was talking about vanguard now. His voice cracked every now and then and sometimes pained gasps would escape him but Kai stayed awake. Miwa had already ridden Kai of his shirt a long time ago and he was disgusted by the sheer amount of wounds that littered Kai's pale chest. Bruises in the shape of hands were seen across his arms and chest while wounds that looked suspiciously like they were made by belts were seen on the brunet's body. One particular cut ran down Kai's elbow to his wrist. It was still bleeding so Miwa noted that that must have been the blood he saw earlier. The wound looked like it was made with a knife and this set Miwa off more than anything else but he contained his rage and started to treat Kai's injuries. He had to be careful though. One wrong move and he could hurt Kai worse than he already was. As if to prove his point, when he had finished disinfecting the gash on Kai's arm and started bandaging it, Kai let out a choked gasp which made Miwa stop.

"Kai! Oh my god, Kai, I'm sorry!" he apologised. Kai grit his teeth and focused on breathing. He took deep breaths and eventually calmed down.

"It's... fine," he managed, although he was still very clearly in pain. "Just keep going please. I appreciate this, Miwa," the brunet thanked. Miwa obliged and waved off the thanks. What were friends for, after all? He continued to bandage the cut, taking care to be more careful. When he was satisfied with the bandaging of every cut, he packed up all of his supplies and made his way back to the bathroom. As he put away his things, he thought about Kai's wounds. The bruises were definitely made by someone else. Kai had said that he would get hurt if the brunet told him who had done this. While he appreciated Kai's concern, he couldn't just ignore who had beaten his friend within an inch of his life. When he returned to his bedroom, he found Kai fast asleep. Miwa figured this was ok since he had already bandaged Kai up fairly well and at this point he was positive that Kai wasn't going to leave for the other side too soon. Miwa pulled the covers over his guest and grabbed his spare futon. It was a good thing that Kai had changed out of his wet clothes a while ago or else he might've caught a cold. He turned off his movie as well as the light. He might as well get some sleep.

* * *

Kai woke up warm and comfortable which came as a shock to him, seeing as how his last memory was him on the train ride back, about to collapse. Then, last night's events all came rushing back to him. He gently pried the blanket off of him and sat up, wincing as he did so. He was about to get out of bed when Miwa entered the room holding a tray of food. The blond panicked seeing Kai trying to leave. He hastily put down the tray and all but shoved the brunet back into bed.

"You still need to rest, Kai! You haven't fully recovered yet!" Kai pouted at the blond while Miwa retained his strict expression. Eventually, Kai just sighed and let himself relax. Satisfied with the other's acceptance, Miwa picked up the food tray and set it down in front of Kai.

"It's not much and it's nothing compared to _your_ cooking but you're still injured and I thought you might be hungry," he said as he looked away sheepishly. Kai looked down at his lap. Miwa had prepared two fried eggs, two strips of bacon, a slice of toast as well as an apple and orange juice. Kai slowly started to eat the meal his friend had made for him. After he finished he turned to Miwa.

"Thank you, Miwa. It was delicious," he complimented. Miwa turned a shade darker and stuttered out,

"I-It's no problem. Glad you l-liked it." Miwa grabbed the tray and the empty dishes and left the room to wash them. When he came back, he sat down on the side of the bed, his gray eyes determined. Kai turned his gaze from the window to the blond inquiringly.

"Kai, I know you don't want to tell me and I know you're doing it to protect me, but I can't ignore it when you're hurt this badly. And this isn't the first time either. _Please_, Kai, tell me what's happening." The brunet turned away, ashamed to be hiding things from his best friend, but not wanting to involve the blond in his problems any further. Miwa clenched his fist.

"Why? Do you think that you're a burden? You aren't. Kai, you're my most precious friend and it kills me to see you like this," he began as tears welled up in his eyes. "It kills me to see you in pain and it kills me even more to know that you're in pain but you won't tell me why and you won't let me help you." The tears began to fall, splattering on Kai's palm one by one. "I know you don't trust people easily but I thought I was someone you could place your faith in. Am I really that little to you?" Miwa wiped away the tears that ran down his cheeks and sniffled. Then, he heard Kai say quietly,

"I go back to the town I moved to when I was younger every three months." The blond looked up to find the teal eyed boy staring at his lap.

"I always go to my uncle's house. I stay for a week. He says it under the excuse that he wants to see me. But all he ever does is hit me. He's the one who hurt me, Miwa. I didn't want to tell you because he would get to you too, if you knew. I didn't want you to get hurt too." Miwa felt more tears come to his eyes and abruptly pulled the brunet into a hug. Shocked, Kai could only numbly reach around and return the hug.

"Miwa...?" he asked, confused at the sudden action.

"Kai, I'm so sorry. I-I never noticed anything. God, Kai, I'm an awful best friend. I'm so sorry!" Miwa cried as he hugged the brunet tighter. Kai felt tears begin to form in his own eyes and let them run down his tired cheeks.

"It's ok, I never said anything. How were you supposed to know?" he comforted. The blond shook his head in the crook of Kai's neck.

"You had to go through all that pain all alone. Kai... I wasn't there for you! I failed you again!" Kai shook his head.

"No. You helped me when I needed you the most. Thank you, Miwa."

* * *

The two crying boys sat there until they were both exhausted. Kai had fallen asleep as soon as Miwa had ended their hug, the invisible weight on his shoulders finally gone. Miwa smiled. He was glad that Kai had finally opened up to him. Now, if he could just figure out what to do... A sudden phone call brought Miwa out of his thoughts. The caller ID read "Unknown". Puzzled, he picked up the phone.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end was scratchy so he couldn't make out who it was. It was also deep and vaguely familiar to him, as if he had heard it before.

"Come to the park across from Card Capital if you want answers," was all the voice said before Miwa heard the ring tone. Miwa looked through his call history, only to find that the number was blocked. He frowned. It didn't look like he had much of a choice other than to comply. Grabbing his coat, he headed out, intent on finding out who it was that had just called him.

* * *

Kai woke up to find no one in the house. He stood up and walked into Miwa's living room. He didn't see the blond anywhere nor did he see a note from him indicating where he had went. Kai frowned. That wasn't like Miwa at all. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Surprised, Kai walked slowly to the door. Was Miwa expecting somebody? He opened the door to reveal none other than his uncle. Gasping, he only caught his uncle's twisted grin and a pain in his stomach before he blacked out.

* * *

Miwa had been waiting for the mysterious caller for over an hour. Where was he? He kept thinking back to the call. The voice had had a familiar tone to it, something that he couldn't place right then. But the more he thought about it, the more it became clearer. It sounded vaguely like Kai's voice. But Kai's parents were dead. Who else could it have been? His eyes widened in shock and then panic as he realised just who it was that had called him. His panic rose when he realised just what he had accidentally done.

"Kai!" he screamed as he ran back to his house.

* * *

Oooh, suspenseful? Next chapter is coming up!


	5. Chapter 5

Violence in this one! I wouldn't say that the depictions of violence here are graphic but they are described. It's not too bad. Last chapter guys!

Disclaimer: Don't own them, sadly.

**Warnings: blood and abuse mentions IN THIS CHAPTER**

Read and Review!

* * *

_Last time:_

_Miwa had been waiting for the mysterious caller for over an hour. Where was he? He kept thinking back to the call. The voice had had a familiar tone to it, something that he couldn't place right then. But the more he thought about it, the more it became clearer. It sounded vaguely like Kai's voice. But Kai's parents were dead. Who else could it have been? His eyes widened in shock and then panic as he realised just who it was that had called him. His panic rose when he realised just what he had accidentally done._

_ "__Kai!" he screamed as he ran back to his house._

* * *

Chapter 5

Miwa burst into his house making a beeline for his room. He threw open the door to find no one in bed. Cursing he tore up the house looking for his best friend. Sadly, he found no one. Miwa clenched his fist and punched the wall in frustration. How could he have let this happen? Suddenly, his cell phone rang in his pocket. He whipped it out of his pocket, looking at the screen angrily before realised that _Kai_ was calling him. He immediately brightened and answered the call.

"Kai?" he asked hopefully. He was answered with a pained yell from said brunet.

"Kai!" he screamed, alarmed at his best friend's tone. He was about to ask whether or not he was alright when he heard Kai's weak voice on the other end.

"W-Why are you d-doing this? Why in m-my OWN APARTMENT," Kai shouted especially loudly. Miwa was quiet. He knew what Kai was doing now. He could only hope that Kai knew just how risky this was. He grabbed his home phone and quickly dialed the police to Kai's apartment. Miwa himself tore down the street, hoping to make it in time this time.

* * *

Kai struggled to stay conscious. His uncle had just finished beating him with his belt. Earlier, he had been slammed against walls and beaten until he was sure that he was internally bleeding. He had also coughed blood at some point, but he couldn't quite remember when. He had called Miwa earlier and hoped that he had heard him scream his location. It wasn't long before his uncle had noticed and crushed his phone. The beatings had only gotten worse after his uncle had figured it out. Kai figured he was just short of hospitalization at this point. Just as he was about to pass out, he watched his door get thrown open to reveal his best friend.

"Mi-Miwa…" he managed, looking up from the floor to see his friend. He could only watch exhaustedly as Miwa stared at him open-mouthed.

* * *

Miwa was shocked to say the least. Kai looked ever worse than he had on that rainy night. His brow was swollen, indicating that he had been hit in the head. His previously bandaged arm was now bleeding again. His left leg was bent at an odd angle and Miwa knew immediately that it was broken. The brunet had also been stripped of his shirt and Miwa could see bleeding gashes that covered his body. And that was only what was on the outside. Miwa had no idea if any of Kai's organs had been damaged but he really didn't want to find out. Just as he was about to carry the brunet out of his apartment, Kai's uncle came back. Upon seeing the blond, Kai's uncle's face scrunched up in rage. He kicked the boy on the floor, causing him to cry out.

"Didn't I tell you not to tell anyone?" he demanded, ignoring Kai's choked gasps as he struggled to breathe. "I told you that if you told anyone that I'd kill them and you!" he screamed as he gave a particularly hard kick to Kai's head which caused the brunet to go limp. Miwa felt his rage rise. Screaming, he tackled the adult to the floor and started hitting him. But Miwa wasn't used to fighting while Kai's uncle was. The adult easily flipped Miwa onto his back and started beating him. Kai's uncle stopped for a moment and looked at the blond's battered face and scoffed.

"Oh how rude of me," he started. "I'm Kai Ryo, the uncle of the ingrate that you see lying over there. I assume that you're Miwa Taishi, am I correct?" Miwa cursed but nodded nonetheless. What was taking those damn policemen so long?! Miwa winced as he was struck across the face again. He felt disoriented as he opened his eyes again to find Ryo sitting on top of him, a knife in his hand. Instantly, he became more alert. He squirmed and squirmed, trying to move away from the danger. Ryo's eyes glinted maniacally.

"I wasn't joking when I said I was going to kill you," he said as he raised the knife. Miwa closed his eyes and prayed that it would be over soon. He opened an eye when he realised that he wasn't in pain. What he saw shocked him speechless again. _Kai_ was currently on top of his uncle, seemingly having tackled him off of Miwa. The blond lay there stunned and could only watch in frozen terror as he watched Ryo stab his nephew in the chest. Miwa screamed and regained feeling in his limbs and rushed forward to his fallen best friend. He didn't notice Ryo behind him and wouldn't have until he heard the man scream as he was tackled yet again but this time by a police officer. _Finally_, Miwa thought somewhere in the part of his mind that was still paying attention to what wasn't Kai. The man struggled and struggled against the officer but was eventually knocked unconscious. Miwa hadn't stopped screaming for his friend. Kai had yet to wake up and the pool of blood underneath him had slowly started growing since the knife had been taken out. Miwa had tears running down his cheeks and they were not letting up soon. He started screaming even louder when he felt himself being pulled away from Kai's unconscious form. He thrashed against the officer separating the two and watched as the Kai was carried away on a stretcher. He suddenly felt a pain in the back of his neck and that was the last thing he remembered before he lost consciousness.

* * *

Miwa woke up to the sound of beeping next to him. He rubbed his eyes slowly, getting the drowsiness out of them. Where was he? A bright voice chirped from beside him.

"Ah, Miwa-kun! You're awake!" Aichi said. Miwa sat up and leaned back on the bed.

"What happened?" he asked his visitor. Aichi lost his smile and fidgeted in his seat. He seemed reluctant to answer and that was when everything came rushing back to Miwa.

"Kai!" he exclaimed. Aichi had to hold him down to the bed to make sure he didn't hurt himself any more than he already was.

"Miwa-kun, you need to rest! You have a concussion!" Aichi yelled as he tried to calm the frantic blond. As if on cue, Miwa cringed and placed a hand to his head. It was then that he noticed the bandages around his temple. Nonetheless, he kept hollering for his best friend. Aichi had to finally scream the brunet's location to calm Miwa down.

"He's right next to you behind the curtain!" the bluenet yelled as he watched Miwa scramble from his bed and push the curtain aside.

* * *

To put it lightly, Kai didn't look well. He had an oxygen mask to help him with his breathing, bandages wrapped around his chest where Miwa remembered that the stab wound was as well as his upper body where the wounds made by Ryo's belt were. His left leg was in a cast after having been broken and there were bandages on his brow where it used to be swollen. The only consolation that there was was that Kai looked peaceful in his sleep. Miwa felt his eyes tear up. If only he had gotten there faster! He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to look at Aichi.

"It's ok, Miwa-kun. He's doing a lot better than when they brought him in. For a while, they weren't sure if he was going to make it, after being stabbed and all. But he's recovering now and will be fine," he comforted. Miwa frowned and shook his head.

"No. I should've gotten there sooner. Or at least been able to defend myself! It's my fault that Kai is like this…" Aichi shook his head.

"Kai-kun did what he did because he cares about you, Miwa-kun. So brighten up. I'm sure that when Kai-kun wakes up, he'll be much happier to see you smiling than to see you frowning." Miwa thought about this and wiped away his tears.

"You're right, Aichi," he said. "Thanks." The bluenet smiled happily. He was glad that Miwa was back to his normal self. Suddenly, they both saw Kai's hand twitch. Miwa gasped and grabbed the brunet's hand, waiting for his teal eyes to open.

"Come on, Kai. Just a little more, you can do it!" The two occupants of the room breathed sighs of relief when they saw Kai's beautiful, albeit tired, teal eyes open. The brunet turned his head slowly to the side to look at his two friends.

* * *

"Miwa…? Aichi…?" he asked, still not too sure what was happening. The next thing he knew, he was trapped in two tight embraces and had two bawling boys crying on him.

"Kai-kun! You're awake!" he heard Aichi wail in his ear. Miwa wasn't much better in this case, blubbering about how he was sorry and that it was all his fault. Kai grunted as he felt the weight of the two press down on his injuries. Immediately, they recoiled and sat back, guilty expressions plastered on their faces. Kai coughed uncomfortably and looked away. Minutes ticked away in silence as none of the three could figure out what to say. Finally, Aichi stood up slowly and made his way towards the door.

"I'll leave you two alone for a while. I think you have a lot to talk about." Just before he left, he suddenly remembered something.

"Ah, that's right! Kai-kun, your uncle is in jail now. The police didn't need any more evidence so they just threw him in without a trial." It was getting late so he had to go home anyway. With that, the bluenet left the two best friends to talk out their problems.

* * *

Miwa shifted uncomfortably in the seat next to Kai's bed. He wanted to ask Kai something but he wasn't sure if the brunet wanted to answer, especially after what he had just been through. He was about to go back to his bed when Kai's soft voice broke the silence.

"How are your wounds?" Miwa was dumbfounded for a few moments before the question finally registered in his mind.

"Oh! Umm… I'm ok. I've only got a concussion. You're worse off than I am," he reported. Kai simply nodded in understanding. The two fell back into silence. Miwa was still contemplating on whether or not to ask his question. He didn't want Kai to be uncomfortable, but at the same time, he wanted to know. Kai's voice broke into his thoughts again.

"Just ask, Miwa," he said, having seemed to have read the blond's face. Miwa pouted but asked his question.

"Why did your uncle hurt you?"

* * *

Kai sucked in a lungful of air. He knew that the question would come up but he never thought it would be so soon. He hesitated in answering and that gave Miwa the impression that he didn't want to answer at all. The blond awkwardly stood up and began making his way back to his bed.

"Sorry for asking. I know it's a personal question." He just stopped short of his bed when he heard Kai whisper.

"I took my mom away from him." Miwa whirled back to face Kai, not believing what he had just heard.

"You… took your mom… away from him…" Miwa repeated hesitantly. Kai nodded. Miwa was intrigued now. He made his way back to his seat and made himself comfortable. Kai took a deep breath.

"My uncle is my mom's older brother. They were really close as children and they still were as they grew older," he started. Miwa nodded intently. He knew that a sibling relationship could be extremely close.

"My uncle was a little upset when my mom got married to my dad since she didn't see him as often anymore. It was even worse when I was born since she had to take care of me. She almost didn't have any time for him anymore," Kai continued. Miwa felt a frown tug on his lips. This was sounding like a borderline obsession at this point.

"When she and my dad died, I was sent to live with him. Needless to say, he thought that her death was my fault. That's why he did what he did. After that it just became routine. I would go home after school, he would hit me for a couple of hours and then I would do my homework, eat dinner, shower and go to bed. At some point he started drinking too and that made the beatings worse sometimes." Now Miwa was absolutely livid. How dare that man abuse a _child_ for years and years and not feel a single pang of remorse about it? He pulled Kai into another awkward embrace.

"I'm sorry…" he sniffled, "I'm sorry I couldn't help you for all those years!" Kai pulled Miwa closer and returned the hug.

"It's ok… I'm alright now… Thank you… Miwa…" he managed before falling asleep out of exhaustion. Miwa was concerned at first but after deducting that the brunet was only asleep and not in a coma or anything, he made his way back to his own bed with an affectionate smile on his face. He turned on his side just as he was about to fall asleep, watching the slumbering boy opposite to him. He smiled. Kai looked more relaxed than he had for the past few months. He was glad that his best friend could finally take a break from everything and live a normal life. Miwa was also slightly ashamed to admit that he was happy Kai's rotten uncle had been thrown into the slammer. He deserved it after all. Kai did not deserve to go through all that torture that Ryo had put him through in the past. But now, it was finally over. Kai's nightmare was locked up and would never bother him again. Miwa felt his eyelids flutter. He snuggled deeper into the covers of the hospital bed and whispered something to his companion just before he fell asleep after a terrifying day.

"You're safe now, Kai."

* * *

Yay it's finished! How was it? Good? Bad? Drop a review if you have time! Thanks for reading!


	6. Epilogue

Looks who's back with an epilogue? Hope you enjoyed the story and now here's the epilogue! I'm not too happy with the ending but it was the only thing I could think of XD. Dedicated to Eclairia.

Read and Review!

Disclaimer: I don't own CFV

* * *

Epilogue

Miwa jogged alongside Aichi to the hospital. Today was the day that Kai was getting released. Miwa himself had been discharged a couple of weeks ago since he had suffered injuries to a minor extent while Kai had had to stay for a while longer on account of his broken leg and knife wound. He and Aichi had gone to visit the bedridden brunet every day and they were both ecstatic to finally see their friend up and about again. Miwa had also heard that the others, including Ren, Tetsu, Koutei and Leon had gone to visit Kai as well in addition to the regulars at Card Capital. They were all happy that Kai was going to be released and had prepared a surprise for the brunet back at the shop. Enthusiastically, Miwa threw open the doors to the hospital, a giant grin on his face. Aichi followed shortly afterwards, panting from the physical exertion. He just wasn't used to running.

* * *

"Is Kai Toshiki ready to be discharged?" Miwa asked the secretary at the desk. She smiled and checked he papers.

"Umm yes," she replied. "In fact he should be down here in just a few minutes. Why don't you take a seat and wait for him?" Miwa nodded and took the seat facing the hallway. Aichi followed suit. The two began chatting to each other about the surprise they had in store for Kai.

"Do you think Kai-kun will like it?" Aichi asked. Miwa shrugged. Kai wasn't a huge fan of surprises but he knew to appreciate somebody's efforts.

"Not sure," he replied. The two continued to talk when the sound of crutches hit their ears. Immediately, the two shot up from their seats to see their friend making his way over to them.

"Kai(-kun)!" the two shouted. The brunet managed a smile, in spite of the apparent difficulty he was having with his crutches.

"Hey, Miwa. Hey, Aichi," he greeted. While Miwa clapped his friend on the back, Aichi inspected the cast on Kai's left leg.

"How long will it take to fully heal?" he asked.

"The doctor said it would take another week. I have to come back next Monday to get the cast removed but after that I'm completely healed." The two other boys beamed.

"That's great!" Miwa cheered. Aichi nodded in agreement. That's when they got a warning from the secretary to either lower their voices or leave the hospital. Miwa laughed nervously while Aichi blushed and apologised. Kai just stood there seeing as how he had nothing to apologise for.

* * *

The three left the hospital, Kai being a bit slower than the others after having been confined to his bed for the past few weeks. Miwa and Aichi noticed this and slowed down their pace. Kai turned to Aichi.

"So where are we going?" he asked. Aichi smiled and stifled a giggle.

"It's a surprise, Kai-kun!" Kai frowned. Well that wasn't like Aichi at all. And seeing as how the bluenet was acting like this, there was no point in asking Miwa either. Resigning himself to follow his two escorts, Kai silently hobbled with the two.

They finally reached Card Capital. Kai looked at the store in confusion. Normally, Card Capital was open every day but now the "Closed" sign hung in front of the door. Why had Miwa and Aichi brought him here if the shop was closed?

Miwa grinned. He had sent a text to Misaki earlier telling her that they would be arriving in about five minutes. Hopefully, everything was set up. Nudging the confused brunet, he told his friend to go in. In response to this seeming absurd suggestion, Kai turned his head to Miwa and looked at him like he had lost his marbles. Miwa sighed.

"Just go in already!" he said playfully. Kai furrowed his brow but did what Miwa told him nonetheless.

* * *

The inside of the store was dark and deserted, like Kai had expected. He couldn't see anything and he was about to leave when something occurred to him. How had gotten in here if the store was closed?! Just as Kai was about to asked if anyone was there, the lights turned on and everyone jumped out from their hiding places.

"Surprise!" they shouted. Kai jumped a little but managed to retain his balance. He took a look around the shop. Balloons were everywhere and streamers littered the ceiling. There was also a cake off to the side that looked like it was vanilla; Kai's favourite. Finally, the biggest thing that caught his eye was the giant banner in front of him that read "Welcome Back Kai!" in bright red letters. He took another look around the room. Everyone was there from Team Caesar to Team Dreadnought to Team AL4 not to mention the regulars at Card Capital. Kai blushed and looked down at the floor. He didn't really like being the centre of attention. Miwa jumped in from behind him and slung an arm over his shoulder.

"Do you like it?" he asked. Kai smiled and nodded. Aichi sighed in relief. He had been worried that Kai might've been a little mad. But he was glad to know that his idol was enjoying the party. Everyone made their way over to the guest of honour and began congratulating him on his recovery and how happy they were to see him up and about again. Through it all, Kai blushed and said as little as possible but the others still managed to feel his gratitude. They all ate cake, which Kai had to admit was rather delicious which caused Miwa to laugh and say that next time _he_ should make the cake. Kai blushed but agreed nonetheless.

* * *

When they had all finished eating, Shin set up fight tables for them and they held a tournament. Surprisingly, Aichi had opted to sit out of this tournament. Needless to say, Kai advanced to the semifinals along with Ren, Leon and Koutei. In the end, the two that faced off in the finals were Ren and Kai.

"Stand up, the Vanguard!" the two shouted as they started their match.

Kai was the victor in the end. The others congratulated him on his win and several of them remarked that Kai hadn't lost his touch despite not playing for a few weeks. Kai smiled and thanked them all. They all helped clean up the shop so that it wouldn't be a mess when it opened tomorrow. They all said their goodbyes and went back to their respective houses with Miwa following Kai.

"Can I stay over tonight?" he asked the brunet. Kai shrugged and said that it was alright by him so long as it was alright with the blond's parents. Miwa pumped his fist and happily replied that his parents had no problem with it. The two began their slow walk to Kai's apartment.

* * *

Kai opened the door to his apartment and made a move to get to the kitchen when he was cut off by Miwa.

"No way," the blond said. "You are not cooking until you're fully healed. Go take a seat in front of the T.V or lie down in bed," he instructed. Kai gave an exasperated sigh.

"Miwa, you're _my guest_. Not the other way around. Let me cook," he urged. The blond stubbornly refused to move and in the end, Kai ended up sitting at the foot of his bed, watching the news. He let a yawn escape him and that was when Miwa came back with the food.

"It's nothing special; just fried rice," the blond informed. Kai took a bite and complimented him on the food, saying that it was good. Miwa shrugged and started on his own helping. After dinner, the two took turns in the shower and brushing their teeth. They ended up playing a couple of games of Vanguard and that was when Kai chose to yawn again. Miwa smiled knowingly.

"Go to sleep, Kai. I know you've been tired the whole day. You don't have to push yourself for my sake." The brunet looked questioningly at his guest. When had Miwa figured it out? Had he been that obvious? Another yawn passed his lips and Miwa chuckled. He helped the older boy into his bed and pulled the covers over him. In no time, the eyelids that covered the teal orbs had slid shut and Kai had been whisked away into the land of dreams. Miwa smiled and pulled out Kai's extra futon. He lay down and turned on his side to face his sleeping best friend.

"Good night, Kai," he said as he let his own eyelids fall over his gray eyes and he too was transported to the land of dreams.

* * *

How was it? Not too bad I hope. Drop a review if you have time!


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